MD1 PENNO Vs Sydney Uni

MD1 -R7 23 May 2026 Sat - 17:30 pm - Sydney Uni Number 1 oval
G B Score Penno 5 3 33 Sydney University 12 8 80					G B QT ST 0 0 0 0 5 1 31 31					G B QT ST 2 0 12 12 3 2 20 51					G B QT ST 0 2 2 14 1 4 10 61					G B QT ST 3 1 19 33 3 1 19 80
Best Players Pat Witt Matthew Carey Lunna Fraser Kieron Coaldrake Jack Kinnane Michael Weathers
Goal Scorers Lunna Fraser - 2 Matthew Carey - 1 Kalan Murray - 1 Michael Weathers - 1

Coach’s Report – Pennant Hills Demons MD1
Round Match vs Sydney University – 23 May 2026
Best, Patrick Witt, Matt Carey, Lunna Fraser, Kieron Coaldrake, Jack Kinnane, Michael Weathers

First and foremost, full credit to the group for fronting up in extremely tough conditions. It was a cold, wet and miserable night, and we were playing on a ground that is completely different to what we’re used to. Sydney Uni’s oval is tight and compressed — closer to a postage stamp at roughly 130 metres long and just as wide — which is the total opposite of our large, expansive home ground where we play our best footy.

Match Overview
Sydney University 12.8 (80) def. Pennant Hills 5.3 (33)
• Q1: 31 – 0, Q2: 51 – 12, Q3: 61 – 14, Q4: 80 – 33
The scoreboard reflects a tough start, but it doesn’t define the effort and growth the group showed across the night.
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What We Did Well: Resilience and Response
After a difficult first quarter where Sydney Uni were able to capitalise on the tight conditions and get the game on their terms, the group responded. We steadied, competed harder, and importantly finished the game strongly — outscoring them in the final quarter, which shows real character.

Adapting to a Different Ground
That smaller ground size compresses space, speeds up the game, and puts pressure on decision-making. It’s not the environment we thrive in, but as the game went on, we began to adapt better — showing composure, improving our contest work, and finding ways to stay in the fight.

Effort and Buy-In
In tough weather and under scoreboard pressure, the effort never dropped. The willingness to compete, chase, tackle and stay connected was there all night, and that’s a huge positive we’ll continue to build on.
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Special mentions need to go out to
• Stormy – Flex Player of the Night
Stormy’s ability to adapt on the fly was critical in a challenging game style.
• King – Players Player
Led from the front all night. King brought voice, composure,
• Paddy – Coaches Award
Competed strongly and gave us real presence around the contest.
• Lunna – Impact Player
Lunna stepped up when given a job and kicked two important goals in the second half.
Key Learnings
1. Adapting to Ground Conditions Earlier
Sydney Uni were able to take advantage of the smaller, tighter ground early. We improved as the game went on, but we want to make those adjustments quicker next time.
2. Starting Strong
We were on the back foot from the first bounce. Against quality sides, we need to bring our intensity and intent right from the start — regardless of conditions or venue.
3. Trusting Our Brand (We need to get on board the Div 1 Bus and stop getting off at different stops.)
When we stuck to our nights game plan — contest, pressure, and smart ball movement — particularly late in the game, we saw reward on the scoreboard. That’s the blueprint.

Looking Ahead
The most exciting part is what comes next — we face Sydney Uni again on our home deck, which suits our game style:
Bigger ground, more space to move, Conditions we are comfortable in, Lessons already learned from this hit-out
That shift in environment is significant, and it plays to our strengths.
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In Summary
While the result didn’t go our way, there is a lot to like about the resilience, the effort, and the way the group stuck together. Nights like this build toughness and belief. We’ve seen both sides now — the challenge of their conditions and the promise of what we can bring. What was most pleasing was we stuck together after the game and got to know each other a bit better at The Newtown Hotel after, We will be better for all elements of Saturday and Saturday night.

We reset, we learn, and we go again — stronger, smarter, and ready to respond.